Sherlock Holmes' 14-year-old sister, Enola, makes her fifth appearance, as clever as her much older brother and still determined to be on her own after being abandoned by her mother and threatened with boarding school. But now that freedom is in jeopardy when her landlady is abducted, seemingly because she has carried a message from the "Bird." The mystery itself, concerning smuggling during the Crimean War, won't be of much interest to kids, but the appearance of the enigmatic Florence Nightingale adds appeal, as will the cat-and-mouse game Enola must play with Sherlock. Mostly, though, it's Enola, strong and determined, who carries this one.

A Morse code message embroidered on a crinoline leads Enola Holmes to a kidnapper--and Florence Nightingale. Once again, the feisty fourteen-year-old detective matches wits with her older brother, and for the first time, Sherlock rethinks his "proper and traditional" plans for his "daredevil, oh-so-clever" sister. This fifth book in Springer's series is a riveting read, and it's Enola's strongest outing yet.

Gr 5-9 From the riveting prologue to the satisfying conclusion, readers are hurled headlong into Enola Holmess latest case. Still eluding her brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, who will, she fears, place her in a finishing school, Enola is horrified one day to find that her beloved landlady, Mrs. Tupper, has been kidnapped. Using her wealth of disguises, Enola sets out to solve the crime. Much to her astonishment, the trail leads to a meeting with Florence Nightingale, with whom Mrs. Tupper was acquainted. The atmospheric setting and the voice of the heroine are so compelling that even though readers may not know what a crinoline is, they will want to find out. Kids who enjoy the details of historical settings and solving mysterious ciphers will cheer this feisty heroine as she leaps out of windows, jumps onto the backs of coaches, and fights evil villains in the dark streets of London to rescue her dear landlady. Well done! Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL